The University of Minnesota Duluth took a major step in securing a bid into the Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference tournament on Friday afternoon with a 2-0 victory over conference rival Bemidji State University on the turf at Malosky Stadium.

UMD (8-9-0, 8-6-0 NSIC) built itself a cushion with 24 points now on the season, five ahead of the University of Minnesota-Crookston for the eighth and final playoff spot. Crookston will need a win tonight over St. Cloud State University and over the Bulldogs on Sunday afternoon to edge them for the final spot. UMD's 24 points also sits just one behind three teamstied for fifth place in the league, including Bemidji State (9-7-1, 8-5-1), giving the Bulldogs a chance to better their playoff positioning come Sunday.

HIGHLIGHTS
• Senior forward Maureen Stormont netted the 15th goal of her season, securing the top spot all-time for points among Bulldogs numbers 125 and 126 of her career. She passes Jen Warrick Reierson ('01) for most all time by one point. Stormont also topped Reierson's record for goals in a career earlier this season. Senior Megan Helberg added a pair of assists as sophomore Marissa Ganske netted the second of her season to break the scoreless tie in the second half.
• She needed just two official saves but senior Marissa Rosa and the Bulldogs defense deflected many opportunities for BSU in preserving the team's sixth shutout of the season.

The opening half was quiet for both teams offensively with the teams combining for just four shots on goal and two corner kicks. Neither team was able to make much of a few offensive chances though Bemidji State did have an early goal disallowed by an offsides call. UMD sprung to life in the second half, dominating much of the time of posession and breaking the scoreless tie when Ganske slid to deflect a crossing pass from Helberg into the back of the net, with a second assist coming off the boot of senior defender Kelli Klun.

Bemidji continued to pressure the Bulldogs with Rosa deflecting a ball away to set up a corner, but UMD held them without a chance on the try. Stormont once again found her name on the scoresheet with a booming point-blank shot, assisted by Helberg, for the career scoring mark as well as a game-clincher. BSU senior goalkeeper and Duluth native Sonja Barr made five saves and took the loss. The Bulldogs out-shot Bemidji State 19-5 in the game and 7-2 on-net.

UP NEXT
UMD will close out the regular season Sunday at Minnesota-Crookston with likely playoff implications pending the result of the Golden Eagles' match tonight. Opening kick is set for 1:00 p.m. in Crookston.